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Race 3: Las Vegas

Well since it is an off weekend I decided to be a little lax about posting my weekly race report. I have been thinking about the race at Las Vegas. Usually when I am settling in at home on the couch with my phone within arms reach to watch a race I silently think to myself, Please let us have a good day…a top ten would be GREAT! A top ten finish would be even better! Of course I want a win for Tony. I definitely want a win. But I don’t want to be too greedy- I just don’t want anything too devestating…no damaged cars or people.

When I am at home I have my phone (NASCAR SPRINT CUP MOBILE) and sometimes I have my computer on my lap too. But in person, we were sitting up in our seats- not even a scanner. I think the scanners take away from the experience. I can’t explain why. I can tell you what I DO love…I love being able to see the drivers being driven around the track waving to the fans. I love to watch the teams gather in little circles for private prayer/peptalks before prerace. I LOVE the fly over. But there is nothing like standing and watching 43 cars take the green flag at a race. The sound of the cars, of the fans- it’s like nothing I have ever experienced.

So I am sitting there in the Petty Terrace and the race starts and Tony was STRONG and it wasn’t long and Tony was in the lead. And not only would Tony lead but he would pull AWAY. I don’t think I have ever watched a race where his car seemed so strong. I sat there and I was nervous. By lap 90 I was parched but like hell was I gonna get up and miss something. By lap 100 I had to pee but I wasn’t about to leave my seat so I just put it out of my mind and concentrated on watching Tony go round and round. If I had been at home I would have been pacing the living room.

I didn’t actually SEE what happened that caused the pass through penalty. Our seats in the terrace were at pit road out and I couldn’t really see Tony’s pits stops all that well. But I heard it over loud speaker. Ahh the disappointment. The Smoke fan in the row behind me was disappointed too. He grabbed his 14 hat and pulled it down over his face in disappointment. Oh I feel ya man. I feel ya.

However- one thing that you HAVE to love about Tony is that he does NOT give up. Now as I mentioned I did not have a scanner. So I can only imagine what he was saying. And honestly he might not have been even saying it over the air. But I know what I would have been saying if roles had been reversed. It might even make Tony Stewart blush! You never know. Anyway…what you have to love about Tony is that he doesn’t give up. He was moving through the field pretty well. Between that and a two tire stop pit stop for track position he was back towards the front of the field by the end of the race. I think that if the race had been longer or if there had been a caution- no question in my mind Tony would have won. None at all. But these are things that were not. And a second place should be celebrated. Especially when it means that Tony is now tied for the points lead with Kurt Busch. That is something that should be exciting.

But I have to say after seeing Tony with such a strong car I can not just reiterate his post race comment to Matt Yocum but I can feel it: Second sucks. Second indeed does suck.

Thanks to LOLRacePics for permission to use their LOL because it is just OH SO FITTING...be sure to check LOLracepics.com for more NASCAR LOLS.

My next post will showcase some of my pictures from the LAS VEGAS race weekend.